[1] He was born in Nelson, Lancashire, England, the son of Robinson King Hartley, a plumber, and his wife, Mary, née Holt.
[1] After completing his apprenticeship he competed for, and won, a Jacob Bell scholarship to study for the diploma of pharmaceutical chemistry at the School of Pharmacy in London (now part of University College London), qualifying in 1932, under Prof Wilfred Herbert Linnell.
[3][4] He then worked there as demonstrator and studied for a degree in chemistry at Birkbeck College, University of London, graduating in 1936 with first-class honours.
[2] He initially taught at the School of Pharmacy whilst working for a PhD which he obtained in 1941.
In 1946 he became director of research and scientific services at British Drug Houses (later merged with Merck KGaA) involving vitamin B12 and contraceptive steroids.